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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stock — goods
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to click
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — to get on
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com